Another winter on Lake Mead and we in Southern Nevada are enjoying the mild temperatures the Mojave Desert offers.  Latest population studies show a drastic increase in the Gizzard Shad numbers.  They now make up 40% of the forage species found in the Lake.  That means there is a lot of them and have been found throughout the Lake.  For anglers, this presents new and exciting challenges to say the least.  Gizzard Shad grow and multiply rapidly and reach sizes upwards of 2 pounds and 18” in length.  Even with the weekly Trout stocking by NDOW, fishermen are finding it tougher to put fish in the bag than ever. 

Some believe this is due to the change in feeding habits since the Gizzards have become the prevalent forage for Stripers.  Others believe weather and or fluctuating water levels may be the cause for their lack of success.  I for one think it is a little bit of both.  One thing is for sure.  The fishing has been affected by these new huge bait fish.  We are just going to have to figure it out.  And once that happens, look out!  The average size of the Striped Bass in Lake Mead will increase, that’s for sure. 

Anglers need to think outside the box and try to use their conventional wisdom they have acquired through the years to figure out where the fish are feeding and how it relates to pervious patterns they have observed in the past.  Trying different areas is a good start.  Combing the water columns for bait balls in the middle of nowhere can help establish some sort of method to this madness we lovingly call Striper Fever. 

A good example of this is a story I heard a couple of years ago about a couple of lake trout fisherman out of Oregon who visited Lake Mead and decided to apply their deep water techniques on this body of water.  They launched out of Hemenway Harbor and took off for the straight that leads to the Dam.  The average depth in that area being 400 ft plus.  They down rigged their baits 200 ft and more and caught fish in the 10-15 pound range in the middle of August.  They were oblivious to the fact that the average fish on this Lake is less than 2 pounds.  Trying different things will be fun and you will eventually stumble onto a gold mine just like these anglers did. 

Good luck in your exploration and long days of chasing the birds, bait and busting fish.  Remember to take heed when you are traveling on the Lake as there are many unmarked obstacles everywhere you look.  A good rule of thumb is to just cruise unless you know where you are going and have been there recently and know the terrain under water.  Fish hard and the rewards will come

Tony Resma